Flying returns on a hot air balloon

New Delhi: Floating over the sand dunes of Thar desert or the blue-white beaches of Goa on a hot air balloon may be just a fantasy now, but the dream is all set to turn into a reality.
The government has initiated steps to commercialise ‘ballooning aviation’ to herald a new era in adventure tourism — balloon safari. The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) would soon notify guidelines for ‘balloon aircraft’ and incorporate them in the civil aviation requirements (CAR) which guides the entire civil aviation industry in India.
The ministry of civil aviation recently granted no-objection certificate to the Delhi-based E-factor to start commercial ‘balloon safari’ operations in Rajasthan. DGCA is likely to give non-schedule operator permit (NSOP) to the company by the end of this year. This permission is usually awarded for chartered airline operations.
30/11/07 Nirbhay Kumar/Economic Times

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Categories: General Aviation Nov 2007, New Nov 2007